How to Request an Invoice Payment by Interac e-Transfer

To request an invoice payment by Interac e-Transfer, send the customer a complete invoice first, then use Request Money through a participating financial institution to ask for the exact amount. Include the invoice number in the request, verify the customer's contact details, and keep the invoice open until the customer approves the request and the deposit is confirmed in the bank account.

The request is a collection step, not proof of payment. Its short message field also does not replace an invoice that shows what was sold, the parties, terms, and applicable GST/HST information.

Can a Canadian Business Use Interac e-Transfer Request Money for an Invoice?

Yes, when the business and customer use eligible Canadian accounts and the business's bank or credit union offers the feature. Interac describes two related experiences:

• Request Money in online banking lets an account holder choose a contact, amount, destination account, and optional message or invoice number.
• Business Request Money can be integrated into invoices, websites, apps, or QR-code payment flows by eligible Canadian merchants through participating financial institutions.

Availability, limits, fees, screens, reminders, and integration options vary. Check the current service attached to the account instead of assuming every business account includes the same Request Money tools.

Request Money asks the customer to authorize a payment. It is not a debit that the business can initiate without the customer's action, and sending a request does not mean funds have moved.

Is an Interac Request Money Notification the Same as an Invoice?

No. Interac says an invoice number can be placed in the optional message field, but that field has limited space. Use it as a match key, not as the only sales document.

The records have different jobs:

• The invoice identifies the seller and customer, goods or services, invoice date and number, amount, terms, and tax treatment.
• The Request Money record shows that a payment request was sent to a contact for an amount.
• The completed e-Transfer record identifies the resulting payment event and reference when available.
• The bank record confirms that the money reached the intended account.
• The accounts-receivable ledger connects the payment to the invoice and shows any balance left.

The Canada Revenue Agency says business income entries should be supported by original documents such as sales invoices, receipts, bank deposit slips, fee statements, and contracts. GST/HST registrants also have invoice and receipt disclosure requirements. A short payment request may not contain the information a customer needs for its records or an input tax credit.

What Should You Prepare Before Requesting Payment?

Start with an issued invoice and a trusted customer contact. Confirm:

• Customer legal or business name
• Customer email address or Canadian mobile number already on file
• Unique invoice number
• Invoice date and due date
• Amount currently due, including applicable tax
• Whether the request is for the full invoice, a deposit, or an agreed instalment
• Account that should receive the funds
• Payment instructions and a contact for questions

Do not put passwords, security answers, full bank details, government identifiers, or unnecessary personal information in the request message. The invoice number is normally enough to connect the request with the full document.

If the customer has not agreed to pay by e-Transfer, send normal payment instructions first. A surprise request can look like phishing and may be ignored.

How Do You Request and Reconcile the Payment?

1. Issue the invoice before the request

Send the invoice through the normal business channel. Give it a unique number and record the amount, due date, and customer in the invoice register.

If GST/HST applies, put the required tax information on the invoice or other qualifying business document. The payment method does not decide the tax rate or replace those disclosure rules.

2. Open Request Money through known online banking

Sign in through the financial institution's official app or website and choose its Request Money option. Select the destination account that the business actually reconciles.

For a website, app, embedded invoice, or QR integration, use the Business Request Money setup offered through the participating financial institution. Do not imitate an Interac payment page or create a homemade deposit link.

3. Verify the contact, amount, and invoice reference

Choose the customer using contact information already confirmed in the business records. Enter the current amount due and add a concise reference such as Invoice 2026-041.

Check for common errors before sending:

• Old employee or customer contact
• Transposed invoice digits
• Deposit requested for the full invoice by mistake
• GST/HST omitted from or added twice to the amount
• Request routed to the wrong business account
• One request that accidentally combines unrelated invoices

If one payment is meant to cover several invoices, list the allocation in a separate statement or message that is not limited by the banking interface.

4. Record the request without marking the invoice paid

Add a request entry or note with the request date, customer, amount, invoice number, destination account, request reference or status when available, and expected due date.

Use a status such as requested, not paid. A customer may decline, ignore, cancel, partially settle, or pay through another method.

5. Confirm the completed deposit

When a notification arrives, open the known bank app or website and confirm the amount, account, date, and completed status. Do not rely on the email link or on a customer screenshot.

Match the payment using several facts: payer name, amount, invoice number, date, and transaction reference. A payer's banking name may differ from the customer name. If the payer is unclear, use the unknown e-Transfer sender workflow rather than guessing.

6. Apply only the amount received

Enter the completed payment in the payment register and apply it to the invoice. Preserve the original payment amount and reference.

• For a full payment, reduce the balance to zero.
• For a partial payment, leave the remainder open and follow the partial-payment reconciliation workflow.
• For an overpayment, record the credit or refund separately.
• For one payment covering several invoices, document allocations that add back to the deposit.

Do not delete the Request Money record after payment. Link the request, completed transfer, and invoice so the timeline remains understandable.

7. Reconcile and preserve the period

Compare the payment register with bank deposits and the invoice register at least monthly. Investigate requests with no payment, deposits with no invoice, duplicates, wrong-account deposits, and invoices marked paid with a remaining balance.

Keep the invoice, request record, legitimate completion notification, bank evidence, correspondence, ledger entry, and any refund or adjustment together. Follow the Canadian e-Transfer retention guide for the broader record-keeping period.

What Request Money Edge Cases Need Extra Care?

The customer pays outside the request

Match the separate payment to the invoice, then cancel or close the outstanding request through the financial institution if that option is available. Do not count the request and deposit as two receipts.

The request expires, is declined, or is cancelled

Keep it out of completed-payment totals. Record the final status and follow up using a trusted contact method. If a replacement request is sent, link both records without overwriting the first.

The customer disputes the amount

Pause collection and compare the request with the invoice, contract, accepted work, credits, and prior payments. Request Money does not resolve an invoice dispute or establish that an amount is legally owing.

A fraudster sends or alters payment instructions

Treat an unexpected request, contact change, or account change as a verification event. Contact the customer or financial institution through a known channel. Do not share a security answer or approve a request merely because it carries a familiar invoice number.

The business feature is not available

Ask the bank or credit union which Request Money service the account supports. The business can still issue a normal invoice and provide verified payment instructions, but it should not promise Business Request Money features that are not enabled.

How TransferLog Helps With Requested Invoice Payments

TransferLog organizes details found in supported Interac e-Transfer notification emails from connected Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud inboxes. After a customer payment produces a supported notification, you can search and filter the record, categorize it, and export CSV or PDF on the Pro plan before matching it to the invoice and bank deposit.

TransferLog does not send Request Money notifications, create invoices, access bank accounts, confirm settlement, calculate GST/HST, collect debts, or decide whether an invoice is enforceable. Use it for the supported notification side of the client payment tracking workflow, then reconcile against the source records.

Official Sources

• Interac: How to use Interac e-Transfer Request Money
• Interac: Business Request Money
• Interac: Business FAQ for invoicing and Request Money
• CRA: Business records
• CRA: Charge and collect GST/HST

Organize supported customer payment notifications with TransferLog. Start free, then match the export to invoices and confirmed bank deposits.